October 16, 2025
Newsletter

(L-R) A man greets a freed Palestinian prisoner released by Israel as part of a hostages-prisoners swap and a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday, Oct. 13 (Photo by: Mahmoud Issa / Reuters). Federal immigration officers detained a protester in Chicago on Tuesday, Oct. 14. Protesters gathered as ICE awaited the removal of its vehicle after it crashed during a pursuit. (Photo by: Anthony Vazquez / Chicago Sun-Times).

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

• 🇵🇭 Join us in celebrating Filipino American History Month!
• Want to make an impact and level up your journalism skills? Apply to VOICES 2026 as an editor or a fellow
• Read the stories produced by our high school journalists during JCamp
• 📓 How ethnic and indigenous newsrooms are countering disinformation in the U.S.
• Help us celebrate the 30th anniversary of ELP by sending in photos and stories from your class year

From AAJA-HQ: Join VOICES 2026, explore stories from this year’s JCamp cohort

VOICES Applications are open for AAJA’s 2026 VOICES program, a multimedia journalism fellowship that kicks off in the spring and culminates at #AAJA26 in Minneapolis, from June 24-28! Students and editors can apply to develop impactful projects, gain mentorship from industry leaders, and help shape the next generation of journalists. 

JCamp This summer, our JCamp 2025 cohort spent a week in Seattle reporting in the city’s neighborhoods. Their stories touched on a wide range of issues including tariffs, immigration, and the economy. Here are a few highlights:

• “Seattle’s Majestic Bay thrives amid theatre closures” by Sylvie Nguyen, Juman Alyousif, and Caden Choi
• “Tariff turmoil targeting the salmon industry threatens Ballard’s identity” by Allie Chung and Sonia Qiao, video by Lincoln Miller
• “How immigrant-owned businesses show up for community amid enforcement threats” by Sarah Wang and Kate Song
• “Electric Guitars to Bouzoukis: How Seattle’s Musicians Persist Despite High Living Costs” by Akshan Ranasinghe and Alaia Aulachong

Check out these stories on the JCamp Medium, and keep an eye out as we continue spotlighting more of the cohort’s work in upcoming newsletters!

Executive Leadership Program Help us celebrate 30 years of ELP! Share your photos, testimonials, and moments from past cohorts and events to showcase the people and experiences that have shaped three decades of leadership.

Chapter elections Reminder that all chapter board elections must be completed by Nov. 1 and the full board list must be submitted to the National Office by Nov. 5. Timely submission is crucial! View our suggested timeline here. Detailed instructions were sent to your chapter emails.

Board Meeting AAJA will hold its Governing Board Meeting on Sunday, November 16, from 7-8:30 p.m. ET.

Resources AAJA provides resources to journalists affected by recent layoffs. Some of our resources include consideration for waived membership fees and our career center that allows journalists to find job postings and connect with recruiters. Read the full statement here.

🗓 AAJA Events

Visit our events calendar on AAJA's website for more chapter events.

October 17 | AAJA-Los Angeles’ Trivia Bowl | Join AAJA-Los Angeles for their annual Trivia Bowl at Nishi Hongwanji.

October 18 | 2025 Build a Better Journalist Conference | Join AAJA-Portland, the Society of Professional Journalists Oregon Pro Chapter, the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators, and the University of Oregon for their journalism conference at Allen Hall, University of Oregon from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT.

💼 October 21 | AAJA’s Financial Planning Webinar | Join AAJA-HQ for a webinar with financial experts on the tools you need to set yourself up for success at 6 p.m. ET.

📚 October 22 | The Power of Storytelling and its Intersections | Join AAJA, AAJA-New York, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism’s New York chapter, and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop for a conversation on storytelling and “Intersections: A Journalistic History of Asian Pacific America” from 6-8 p.m. ET.

📚 October 22 | Celebrating "Intersections: A Journalistic History of Asian Pacific America | Join AAJA, the UCI Center for Storytelling, and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center for a panel discussion about "Intersections" from 5:30-7 p.m. PT.

October 22 | AAJA-Asia's Economics of Asia Session | Join AAJA-Asia for a conversation about what global slowdown and trade tensions mean for Asia's economy. 

October 25 | AAJA-Chicago’s Halloween Career Event | Join AAJA-Chicago for resume review and Halloween treats at the Chinatown Public Library from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. CT.

October 30 | AAJA-Minnesota’s Trivia Bowl | Join AAJA-Minnesota for their Trivia Bowl at Brit’s Pub at 6:30 p.m. CT.

November 2 | TCS New York City Marathon | Team AAJA is running in the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon to support AAJA’s programs and initiatives.

👏 AAJA Kudos

• Juju Chang was an executive producer on the documentary Left Behind which won Best Showcase Documentary Feature at the Soho Film Festival. 
• Daniel Chi joined Sirius XM as Senior Project Manager, B2B Creative Operations & Sales/Marketing. 
• Mallory Carra, ELP '23, started a new position as Student Journalism Mentor, Koreatown Storytelling Program at The LA Local.
• Anish Vasudevan, ESPN / AAJA Sports Task Force Internship recipient ‘24, was promoted to associate editor of ESPN’s digital NFL group.
• Anil Letherwala earned two sports Emmys as the operations producer for FOX Sports for MLB post season coverage and their coverage of the Rickwood Classic.

On Our List 🌟📺📸📰🎧

Celebrating Filipino American Heritage Month

• 📺 ”Celebrating and Championing Filipino Journalists” ft. Nicole Dungca, FilipinoTown Magazine
• “Filipino Cuisine Shines Bright in This Celebration of Filipino American Culture” by Dianne de Guzman, Eater San Francisco
• “Op-Ed: On AAJA, the Filipino Comedy Festival, and the Passing of Belva Davis” by Emil Amok Guillermo, AsAmNews
• 📺 “FAHM: Capitol Modern Museum hosts “FiliRooted” month-long arts and culture celebration” by Annalisa Burgos, ELP ‘10, Hawai’i News Now

Stories that spotlight identity, accountability, and community

• "Journalists turn in access badges, exit Pentagon rather than agree to new reporting rules" by David Bauder, Associated Press
• "How To Get Help — And Help Others — Amid ICE Raids in Chicago" by Sophia Kalakailo, Jerrel Floyd and Grace Del Vecchio, City Bureau
• “Israel keeps Gaza border crossing closed while reducing aid deliveries” by Jane Arraf, NPR
• "Democrats are in a GOP shutdown vise" by Jordain Carney, Nicholas Wu and Meredith Lee Hill, POLITICO
• “Veteran TV anchor Connie Chung talks career, journalism now and DEI during Northeast Ohio visit” by Gabriel Kramer, WOSU
• “Can tourism be respectful? Native Hawaiians have a plan.” by Sara Kehaulani Goo, The Washington Post
• "California makes Diwali an official statewide holiday" by Deepa Bharath, Associated Press
• 📺 ”SINNERS Cultural Consultant Dolly Li on the Delta Chinese, Docs, and That Licking Line” by Paola Mardo, ft. Dolly Li, Proximity Media
• “‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat” by Jason Beeferman and Emily Ngo, POLITICO
• 🎧 “Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day with MPR's Native News team” by Leah Lemm, Chandra Colvin and Melissa Olson, MPR News

AAJA Opportunities:

• Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarships 2025 | Apply to NJC’s scholarships for Washington state students. | Deadline: Wednesday, Oct. 29.
• Futures Fund | Donate to AAJA’s Futures Fund, an endowment campaign to help AAJA continue to serve its members like you.

Job Opportunities:

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